


fingers in a fist like you might run

by blessed_image



Series: bury a friend: umbrella academy fics [7]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Agender Number Five | The Boy, Blood, Epilepsy, Focal Seizures, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Good Brother Diego Hargreeves, Good Brother Klaus Hargreeves, Good Sister Allison Hargreeves, Good Sister Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy Has Issues, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Seizures, THIS IS BIG YIKES, Trauma, Yikes, absence seizures, but tell me nicely bc im sensitive, i did research but im not a professional, not my biggest yikes but its, so PLEASE if i fucked up anywhere PLEASE tell me, up there - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-23 05:21:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18147623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blessed_image/pseuds/blessed_image
Summary: Allison has been noticing something about Five. She was right to pursue the issue further.





	fingers in a fist like you might run

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU READ THE TAGS BC I KNOW THIS STUFF CAN BE TRIGGERING

“They keep doing that.” Allison whispers to Diego, who looks up from cleaning his knife for a split second before shifting his eyes to look at Five. He frowned at how they were just stood by the counter, a forgotten drink beside them. He looked back down.

 

“Doing what?” She sighs at him, narrowing her eyes.

 

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed it.” she says with strict judgement in her voice. “They just...stand there. They’d be doing something and then just stop. Like they’re day-dreaming.” Allison gestures to them.

 

“Then just snap them out of it?” Diego shrugs, not finding Five’s behaviour that odd since the kid is just...an odd person. Allison tuts in exasperation.

 

“You think I haven’t tried that already, Diego?” Her voice raises an octave. “They’re practically dead. They don’t respond at all.”

 

Diego frowns, looking back at the person acting as the object of their conversation. They’re still just stood, hands curled up in fists as they stare absentmindedly to their left.

 

“Huh.”

 

“That’s all you have to say?” she asks, looking back towards them, too. Diego snorts.

 

“What do you want me to say?” he questions in retort, eyes not leaving Five for even a second- cleary concerned, but too stubborn to admit it.

 

“Whatever.”

 

—

 

“Hey, Klaus?” Allison asks, heel clacking coming to a stop in front of said man; who is laying on the sofa and eating an apple. He was probably talking to Ben, judging by the way he turns from looking at an empty to chair and nodding; to instead looking up at Allison in surprise.

 

“Yes?” he asks, voice high in cheer; sitting up instead of laying down to greet her.

 

“Have you noticed that Five’s been acting...kind of off lately?” she inquires, trying her hardest not to say something that could be interpreted wrong.

 

“Uhh...” he starts, lifting a single finger to his chin in thought. After a second, he furrows his brow. “The kid is always acting weird.” he shrugs.

 

“You know what I mean.”

 

“Hmm. I guess they have been spacing out more often than what they did before.” He whispers, looking back at the empty chair and pulling his lips into a straight line. “Ben says he has noticed it, too. They have a blank look on their face or something.” he bites into his apple.

 

She opens her mouth but is cut off by a loud ‘oh!’

 

“Yeah, apparently they sometimes freak out! Super creepy.” Allison huffs at this, but nods in thanks.

 

—

 

She’s sat in Vanya’s apartment, smiling as the girl plays her violin in joy. Her sister has always played so beautifully, but only recently has she really started to listen.

 

Sipping at her tea, she closes her eyes for a brief second- too enveloped in the moment to notice how the music comes to a stop.

 

“Hey, Allison?” Vanya asks, and Allison opens her eyes instantly; setting her tea back down on the table slowly. She nods. “Have you noticed how, uh what’s a good way to put this-“

 

“Is this about Five?” the taller girl interrupts from her seat, watching intently as Vanya sets down her violin. She nods. “Yes, I have noticed.”

 

“It’s...” she trails off, pushing a straight, brunette lock behind her ear. “...strange. I’m worried for them.”

 

Allison looks down at her shoes, smile dropping from her expression.

 

“The other day I saw them biting their lip and like, trembling.” Vanya carries on, and Allison glares at the ground at this information. “It might be something else but I searched it up...”

 

She looks up at this, nodding at Vanya to explain further.

 

“I think they have epilepsy. But don’t take my word for it! It’s just...their actions fit the description of focal and absence seizures.”

 

Allison purses her lips, nodding again slowly- Vanya takes this as a chance to sit down to explain.

 

“Absence seizures are very brief and are easily dismissed as just daydreaming, and aren’t really dangerous. They’re more common in children.” Allison processes this and realises ‘daydreaming’ fits the description of Five’s behaviour. She mentally notes all this down. Vanya continues.

 

“Focal seizures are..different. They involve a lot of jerking and movement of one limb, the rest of the person is kinda stiff. They pull at clothes and pick up objects, and repeat their actions a lot. They bite at their lip or make lip smacking, and chewing movements.

 

The actual person experiencing it gets a feeling of joy or fear, and react either positively or negatively to people’s movements depending on their feelings. They tend to, uh, go through deja vu, as well. Sometimes they undress or run around.”

 

Allison listens intently, finding it fascinating that Vanya can remember so much information- raising her eyebrows by the end of the speech. The girl smiles timidly, and shrugs.

 

“Five fits both of those.” Allison agrees, picking up her drink again and sipping it gratefully.

 

—

 

Then, it happens. The most notable instance so far, the one moment that everyone realises that this was the definitely the case.

 

They (Diego, Klaus, Allison and Five) are all sat eating, as the woman pays close attention to the smallest of the room; knowing that certain foods can trigger epilepsy. Allison had tried her best to sway Five away from the high sugar things these past few days, but they were very insistent. Curse their sweet tooth.

 

It only took a few minutes, but it happened.

 

 

“Five?” she asks, watching as they furrow their eyebrows mid sentence (they were cussing out Klaus); cutting themself off to instead bite their lip. “What’s wrong?”

 

“I-“ they start, but they go stiff and just proceed to bite their lip further. Allison side eyes Klaus and Diego to her left, who are both staring at Five in concern. She shakes her head at Diego when he reaches forward slightly, stretching a hand out in an attempt to get Five’s attention, she glances at the clock on the wall. He notices this and nods back, watching it. Her frown deepens when she looks back at Five, noticing that they’re pulling insistently at the hem of their sweater; ripping at a thread hanging from the bottom of the material.

 

Their other hand was flexing and unflexing repeatedly, held up beside their head. Allison narrows her eyes at this, ignoring the way Klaus’ breath hitches in the background. All they’re doing is blinking, flexing a hand, messing with their sweater and biting their lip. Yet, no one would dare move, only the way Diego’s eyes would slide from Five to the the clock was acted out.

 

That was until Luther and Vanya walk into the space, the latter of the two instantly noticing the way everyone else was frozen- besides the shortest of the group, sat with hazy eyes. She goes still at the the doorway, catching Allison’s gaze; before retreating her vision to Five- whose breathing speeds up slightly.

 

Luther is a fucking idiot, though. He carries on walking, before noticing how Vanya is no longer walking beside him- deciding to finally stop halfway through the room. He looks around, raising his eyebrows at how Klaus hisses and Diego glares daggers at him.

 

“What’s going on?” he asks, looking at Klaus like he had grown another ten heads. The man in question nods down towards Five, who is now watching Luther cautiously out the corner of their eye- but the wetness and fear is still present. Suddenly, the lip biting gets worse and the youngest-yet-oldest sibling manages to force a deep cut in their skin; blood forming. “Five?”

 

Allison shakes her head in amazement at Luther’s stupidity, clicking her tongue to get his attention.

 

“They’re having a fucking seizure, Luther.” she whisper-shouts at him, his response being a quizzical look.

 

“I don’t see them shaking.” Luther states, walking towards the child. “They just look a little out of it.”

 

Five makes a small cry, finally letting go of their lip and ripping even more harshly at their jumper.

 

“It’s been two minutes.” Diego curses under his breath, eyes leaving the clock to stare sadly at Allison.

 

“Isn’t the emergency time ten minutes?” Klaus worries with his voice, interlocking his hands.

 

“That’s for the tonic-clonic seizures. This is a focal one.” Vanya explains, causing everyone but Diego to look at her, he just deepens his frown. Klaus tilts his head. “I did some reading. Five minutes and we intervene.” she finishes, voice firm but small.

 

Everyone goes quiet at this, and Luther finally stops being annoying- crossing his whack ass arms across his whack ass chest.

 

“That’s...not too long from now.” Someone says, but Allison cares too much about watching Five- who blinks rapidly- to recognise the owner. She widens her eyes instead, and shushes the room.

 

Five lowers their hand finally, but it’s still twitching by their side.

 

“I-“ They start, swallowing a lump in their throat and closing their eyes. “I’m okay.” their voice cracks but no one focuses on that.

 

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Klaus breathes out. “You scared the actual shit out of me, kid.”

 

Five glares at him after opening their eyes at the nickname, before looking around the room in confusion.

 

“Don’t call me that.” They whisper, looking back at the man. Licking their lips, they clear their throat. “I’m bleeding.”

 

“No shit.” Diego chuckles, but the worry and concern is still so forefront in his voice that it’s frankly heartbreaking. “Two minutes, fifty six seconds.”

 

“Shit.” They curse, lowering their head into their hands. Vanya walks towards them, paper towel in her hand- as she lifts their head. She wipes at the blood, ignoring how Five declares that they can do it themself.

 

“Do you need a drink?” she asks, after cleaning their face. They pout and shake their head.

 

“No. I just have a headache.”

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading


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